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Tuesday, 17 December 2013

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” — Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela lived a life that honoured his words. Mandela was the first elected president of South Africa and is well known today for his peaceful objections to apartheid. Many of us may not be familiar with the term 'apartheid';it was a system in South Africa that segregated races.

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” - Nelson Mandela.

Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for standing up for what he believed in, when eventually let free, he forgave his oppressors. Despite South Africa, being close to civil war, the words and actions of Mandela kept all at peace. Mandela has been an inspiration and will continue to be an inspiration for all people. He will continue to be a prominent figure in history. He has devoted so much of his life fighting for justice, encouraging democracy, working towards an end to poverty and aiming for peaceful resolutions.

Nelson Mandela's life cannot be summarised, for neither was it brief nor mediocre. To a great man, we thank you for the effort you never ceased to put into your nation and the effect it had on other nations. The lessons of democracy you gave will not only be built on by South Africa but will also remain part of the foundation of democracy that RUSU keeps.

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.Sophie Davies, RUSU Welfare Officer and Ellie Brady, RUSU Disabled Students Part-time Officer.

Disclosing that you are a disabled student to others is
often a very difficult process. Even more so if you suffer from mental health
issues, as people aren’t nearly as accepting of problems that they can’t
physically see. Mental health is something of a social taboo, as many
people refuse to talk about it. There is a preconceived notion that mental
disorders are very uncommon and this myth helps fuel the biased interpretations
many people have towards mental health. Statistics suggest that 1 in 4 people
in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, whereas cancer
affects 1 in 3 people in their lifetime; both have a large impact upon the
clinical population, and yet only one is widely recognised and reported in a
non-biased manner.

Admitting to someone that you suffer from a mental health
condition is no easy feat, it often leads to an enormous amount of anxiety due
to all the negative connotations that such problems have been labelled with.
For instance, behaviours associated with mental disorders, such as suicide and
self-injury are often seen as either selfish or attention seeking. As a result,
an individual who experiences such things may feel like they are deviating from
some sort of societal norm, and therefore may feel the need to hide their
problems. Admitting this perceived weakness should not be met with
ignorance and hostility, but instead with empathy and support.

Personally, I only told one of my friends from my course, as
I felt she would be more understanding about my situation than my flatmates and
she reacted admirably. But unfortunately this is not always the case. Those who
would not react so kindly to such a confession are often easily identified, and
therefore prevent people from being comfortable with sharing such information
with them.

Regardless, positive awareness of mental health is essential
in order to promote a better understanding of such issues. Many people suffer
from mental health difficulties but are too afraid to seek help due to a fear
of these negative judgements. Therefore it is important to spread awareness of
mental illness in an attempt to help these individuals realise that it is
perfectly okay to struggle and for them to know where and feel able to ask for
support should they need it.

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.Sophie Davies, RUSU Welfare Officer and Ellie Brady, RUSU Disabled Students Part-time Officer.

I “came out” as being bipolar to
everyone who saw me on World Mental Health Awareness Day by wearing a yellow
jumper I had written the word “bipolar” on! Before that I had told two of my
flatmates in the first week (so they would know why I was so moody), and both
were stunningly supportive & accepting. I was expecting at least an odd
look or two when I wore the “bipolar” jumper, but I received no mean looks and
no negative comments! People continue to astound me with how accepting they can
be. Of course, I was lucky - often mental health issues aren’t so pleasantly
accepted, which needs to change!

The comments I did get made
wearing the jumper worth it - one person told me he was bipolar too, and
one person said my jumper reminded them that it was Mental Health day. Wearing
the jumper meant people felt they could talk to me about their mental health
issues too, which was lovely! It was nice to hear people talk about it openly
without any kind of fear (of a bad reaction) or shame.

I’m an art student, and having
everyone already know about my “disability” means I don’t have to explain why
most of my work is about mental health issues (and feminism, and unapologetic
cuteness, and blah blah blah)! Also, I’m the president of the Mental Health
Society at Reading, so I think it’s important for me to be open about my
rapid-cycling bipolar, to let people know that they can be open about their
mental health disabilities too. Please, please don’t be embarrassed or afraid
of telling people! They’re mostly lovely, and the ones who aren’t are
ridiculously unaware idiots.

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.Sophie Davies, RUSU Welfare Officer and Ellie Brady, RUSU Disabled Students Part-time Officer.

I
was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow cancer, “Essential Thrombocythaemia”, one
week before my first term of university. With my new diagnosis and being thrown
into a completely new environment simultaneously, university had the potential
to be very scary!

I
was terrified of explaining my diagnosis to my new flatmates; worried that I’d
be known as “the sick girl” and nothing more, with cancer becoming my identity.
I tried to hide my symptoms as much as possible and didn’t begin treatment
until December that year so side effects were thankfully minimal.

Then one day
the cat got out of the bag… My cancer causes blood clots which can cause
temporary blindness if a clot is passing behind my eye. I was getting ready for
another night out in town with my flatmates when BAM, Iwent blind in
my left eye, I then was faced with the very daunting task of explaining my
“situation” to my new friends.I
couldn't bring myself to explain my condition all at once, so merely said I had
a blood condition which sometimes, on the odd occasion, caused blindness. They
respected my wish; that I didn’t want to talk about it, and we stayed in that
night instead, chatting to the early hours of the morning.

In December
when I was told by my consultant I would have to start daily chemotherapy pills
that would make me very sick, I realised I had to talk to my flat properly. My
parents dropped me back at halls from the hospital and I said goodbye with
tears in my eyes as I dreaded what my flat would think of me; a disease ridden
girl, a burden. That night I called a flat meeting, all 10 of us squeezed into
my bedroom, all sat silently listening to my “story”. I told them in much
greater detail than I had anyone before about my diagnosis, prognosis and
treatment. I remember the looks on their faces and I am proud to say none of
them were of pity. When I finished most were a little teary but not with
sadness, they were proud of me and happy I felt comfortable enough with them to
talk to them about it. My flat then did something absolutely incredible; they
made jokes! They made me laugh! They treated me no differently and carried on
as if normal whilst assuring me they would all be there if or when I needed
them.

I
am very blessed with the group of friends I made at university. Now I don’t shy
away from explaining I have a life-long cancer, but wear it as a badge of
honour. My friends at university have been the best support network I could
have asked for; supporting me when I need them but always keeping me smiling,
happy and optimistic.

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.

Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.Sophie Davies, RUSU Welfare Officer and Ellie Brady, RUSU Disabled Students Part-time Officer.

I started university in 2011. After what was initially a
rocky start of finding my feet and my position within a seemingly clique-less
‘society’ I arrived for second year full of promise. Having decided to live in
halls for the duration of my time at university, I was already going against
the grain. So far this hasn’t been an issue for many people – and was soon shot
of the people who thought it was!

What I think I’ve found most difficult in general about
getting older is keeping up with my peers. I lack the energy most people my age
have heaps of. At University I rely a lot on nap time (which is more common
than you might think) to get through assignments and nights out. This does mean
though, that when I come home, I am usually deliriously tired and want to sleep
for the month before the work/social cycle happens again. At university there
are three main points of focus. Work, socialising, sleep. You can only ever
have two, as illustrated by many a meme.

The best advice I was given when I went to university does
initially sound harsh, but I will explain why it is not. My mum told me to be
selfish. University is the only time in your life when you only have yourself
to consider. You have no parents, siblings, spouse or children relying on you
to do your bit. Embrace that. When it’s gone you may never get it back. So if
you want to join a society or club or media stream that is deemed uncool, just
do it. Get involved with as much as you can. That is what makes Uni more than
just your course and personally, it’s where I met my closest friends.

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.Sophie Davies, RUSU Welfare Officer and Ellie Brady, RUSU Disabled Students Part-time Officer.

Two weeks after my finals exams in 2012, I had a migrainous
stroke (stroke caused by severe migraines) and as a result of the preventative
medication I’m now on, I can’t drink alcohol. I was apprehensive about
returning to halls at first because I knew that there would be times where I
would be left out of events (because lets face it – going to clubs or house
parties sober really sucks) and I tend to get tired more quickly.

I did find telling the people I live with a bit cringey – I
was incredibly lucky in that the only permanent damage I sustained from my
stroke was to my vision and some were a bit confused when I told them.
Thankfully, there are a lot of lovely people in my hall who are understanding and
who have invited me to things that aren't predominantly about getting drunk.
To be honest – everyone who I have told has been lovely about it and if
there are any people that do judge me for my disability then they aren't worth
worrying about.

There are various societies that aren't revolved around
drinking and plenty of support on campus through the disability service.

Today is International Day of Disabled People and to mark
this, NUS have launched “Coming Out as Disabled” a campaign in which they
encourage people to write articles about their disabilities and experiences.
RUSU has collected several blogs from Reading students who wanted to share
their stories. We hope that starting these conversations on our campus will
encourage all students to talk more openly about disability and most
importantly remind disabled students that they are not alone.

Thank you so much to the students who wrote to us and
supported this cause, we hope you found it to be a positive experience.

More than often, the reaction I get when I tell people that
I suffer with a brain tumour, is of great surprise. I used to take great pride
in not letting my disability show, and for a long time the biggest complement I
got was people saying that they would never have guessed something was wrong.
That made me feel great, it hadn't slowed me down.

Unfortunately over the summer I started showing some
symptoms of things changing with regards to the tumour, this made the physical
signs of the tumour much more obvious, and so more people ask about it, I was
persuaded by my lecturer, who had noticed, to seek Disabled Students Allowance. This required a lot of thought originally, as it meant acknowledging I had a
disability. I have to say the support I have gotten from both the DSA and my
department at university has been great, if anything it has made me realise
it’s okay to show the symptoms, but I still try to not let it slow me down, but
I accept it a bit more now.

If anything I wish I had sought help and advice in my first
two years at university.